Donna Phillips, the mother of Ottawa REDBLACKS' linebacker Justin Phillips, is possible the most excited football fan in Ottawa right now. Justin is just one of a handful of Ottawa-native players on the team. Here's Justin describing how her sign-making is going.

Justin Phillips' Mom And Her Fan Signs

The new rideshare service Uber launched yesterday in Ottawa. So who are the drivers? And why do they sign up?  Jeanne Armstrong drove shotgun with an Uber driver to find out.

Riding shotgun in an UberX Escalade

Taking the oven out of the kitchen -- and putting it into a public park. That's the idea behind Bayshore Park's hottest new addition: a community oven. Anyone is welcome to use it and it's free of charge. But you have to book it first! You can email bayshorecommunityoven@gmail.com to schedule a time and date.
This story originally aired on CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning on November 28, 2014.

Bayshore Park Community Oven

There's a strong bond between Myles Dear and his eight-year-old son Kyram. And while Myles tries to keep Kyram's spirits high, the single dad is facing some giant hurdles. Kyram's financial needs are greater than what the provincial government can provide. In the meantime, Myles turned to a crowdfunding campaign. You can check it out here: http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/you-can-help-kyram-succeed/262325
This story first aired on CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning on December 1, 2014.

A father seeking help for his son's medical needs

We might be a long way off from creating robots that can FEEL emotions. But robots that can sense emotion in others -- that's a lot closer.
Last year a Japanese company announced they would start selling an emotion-detecting robot named "Pepper". And now a team of researchers at Carleton University is working on their own touchy-feely robot. I dropped by the lab to find out more.


Emotion-sensing robot

It's a different kind of courtroom -- where the victim and the accused talk through what happened, face to face. Sentencing circles have been used for generations among Canada's Aboriginals. Recently, Algonquin Spiritual Advisor Albert Dumont held a sentencing circle with a group of young Aboriginal students. The roles in the circle were fictional. But Dumont says it's a way to give Aboriginal youth a positive impression of the justice system before it's too late.

Sentencing Circle

As Jimmy Durante would say -- Love is the answer. But finding that one true love can be a tricky task. Enter: Tinder. Just in time for Valentine's Day, the CBC's Jeanne Armstrong delivers a primer on swiping left and right on Tinder -- and follows some brave users in Ottawa. 

Finding love on Tinder in Ottawa

It's a problem many of us face during these cold, dark days of winter...How to avoid the seasonal blahs. Two neighbours in Oxford Station -- near Kemptville -- decided their best bet, was to take on a major construction project.
And one that's very seasonal.
Starting in early January... they began freezing hundreds of ice blocks... and piling them up in the backyard.
And last Saturday, Al Mackenzie and Dan McGuire unveiled...their very own ice igloo.
Jeanne Armstrong set out to track down the igloo. And it turns out -- Al Mackenzie's house was pretty easy to find. 


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